A Forbidden Love
by pinkpanda376
Summary: Hermione is a good girl. Draco Malfoy is a bad boy. They are sixth years and secretly in love. What will happen when Draco is made an unwilling Death Eater? How will their friends react? More importantly, will their relationship put her in danger?
1. Chapter 1

_There_, I thought, finally satisfied with my appearance as I stood in front of the mirror in the girls' dormitory. I was getting ready for my birthday surprise from my boyfriend, which was taking place in the Room of Requirement, in private. My boyfriend and I had kept our relationship a secret for the past five months, because we knew that we wouldn't be able to tell anyone without receiving enormous amounts of mockery in return, so we had all dates and such things in the Room of Requirement.

I'd chosen a pink ruffly top, my best jeans, and a pair of silver ballet flats, and had taken time to straighten my hair, which was now held back in two sparkly barrettes on each side so that it wasn't in my face. I finished applying makeup—neutral… it would've looked bad with anything else—and headed out the door and down the staircase to the common room.

"Hey, Hermione!" called Ginny from her place in an armchair as I headed for the portrait hole. "Happy birthday!"

"Oh… Thanks, Ginny!" I called back, not stopping.

"What, you're not going to stop and talk to me?" she teased.

"No, I'm in a hurry," I said, edging further away from her, trying to hide the guilty look on my face.

It didn't work. "Where are you going? You have the guilty face," said Ginny, a grin appearing on her face.

"Nowhere," I said shiftily. "Well, bye!"

"All right, who is he?"

"He? There's no 'he'. Why do you think there's a 'he'?" Damn it! I always babbled when I got nervous!

"You're a liar," she said, grinning wider. "You're dressed up, and you straightened your hair. Come on, who is it?"

"None of your business!" I snapped.

"Ooh, so there _is_ a 'he'," Ginny teased. "Who is it? Dean? Seamus? Ron? It had better not be Harry, or you'll both be getting a severe ass-kicking."

"No, it's not, and… hang on, _Ron? God _no! I have better taste than that!"

"Well, tell me, then!"

"No! Just… Not yet. Neither of us are telling anyone. Well, he had better not be, or he's the one who'll be getting a severe ass-kicking."

"How long have you been seeing each other?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, spill."

"Since Christmas."

"What? Five months?" Ginny shrieked.

"Shhh! Not so loud! Yes. He asked me to dance at the Christmas Masquerade, remember? We all wore disguises?"

"Oh, yeah. And Neville just put on a fake mustache," she laughed. "Wait, who was it? Just description."

"Well, at the ball, he had brown hair, blue eyes, and was about six-four."

"Lucky. That's not at all what he looks like though, is it?"

"Nope. Better," I said with a grin.

"What House is he in? What year?"

"I'm not telling you! Listen, I really have to go, okay? He has a birthday surprise for me, or so he said."

"One more thing. Are you going with him to the end-of-the-year masquerade?"

"Yeah. See you later!" I called.

"Tell me everything later!" she called as I left.

I ran most of the way, because she'd made me late. I stopped at the blank stretch of wall on the seventh floor, in front of the tapestry of troll ballerinas.

_I'm late for my birthday surprise,_ I thought over and over as I walked back and forth.

I opened my eyes. And the door, which had just appeared. I shut it tightly behind me before turning around.

"Happy birthday, Hermione!" he said with a smile. He moved forward and kissed me softly.

"That wasn't my birthday surprise, was it?" I asked, feigning disappointment. I knew it wasn't, but even if it had been, I still would've loved it.

He grinned. "Nope. Sit." He pointed at a small, overstuffed white sofa in the middle of the room.

I smiled and sat down on the soft cushions as he picked up a small box from the table in front of the sofa.

He pointed his wand at it, and suddenly, things were flying out of it in silvery streaks. I jumped as they whizzed all around me, then, as soon as it had started, it stopped.

I was now surrounded by boxes wrapped in silver and white paper.

"Happy birthday," he said with an enormous grin.

"What did you do?" I asked, looking around me. There had to be dozens of boxes here, all different sizes.

"I went shopping for my girlfriend for her birthday, is that a crime?" he asked, grinning wider as he sat down next to me. "Open them!"

Still wide-eyed, I picked up the nearest parcel and opened it. Inside was an adorable white skirt.

"Oh, it's gorgeous!" I said, holding it up to my waist. "I love it!"

"I thought you might," he said with a mischievous smile.

One by one, I opened all the presents. He'd gotten me many things… clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, shoes, purses…

"One more," he said, tugging a white box out from under the sofa.

I opened it slowly, and gasped when I saw what was inside.

"Oh, my God!" I whispered as I took in the pink, sparkling dress. Gently, I took it out, then held it up.

It had a sweetheart neckline, covered in sparkles and sequins. The skirt was made of tulle, and it had a natural fullness to it, so that it puffed out without having a hoop skirt or anything underneath it. I knew by sight that it would be a perfect fit, and was the perfect color for my skin tone.

"I was hoping you'd wear it to the masquerade," he admitted with a small smile. "You look stunning in pink."

I smiled and threw my arms around his neck, kissing him.

"I love you, Hermione," he said softly.

"I love you too, Draco."


	2. Chapter 2

I stood at the bed, trying to make sense of the pile of birthday presents—ridiculously expensive birthday presents—on my bed. I had no clue where to put all this stuff. I was thankful that Parvati and Lavender weren't here… They'd turn me into a doll and play dress up with me.

There was a knock at the door. "It's me," came Ginny's voice.

"Come in!" I called.

"Hey, so what was your—holy crap!" shouted Ginny upon entry.

"No duh!" I snapped. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with all this? I have nowhere to put it!"

"Come on, be Hermione! Find some sneaky way of storing things!" Ginny said. "Lemme guess... this is all from Mystery Man?"

"Yeah. Help me, will you?"

"Ooh, do an undetectable extension charm on your wardrobe!" said Ginny.

I pursed my lips. "I suppose I could try…" I waved my wand at the wardrobe, which glowed, then returned to normal. I opened the door. "Whoa!"

I now had a walk-in wardrobe, complete with sections for jewelry, shoes, and cosmetics.

"Well, that'll work," I said, waving my wand. The things flew neatly into the wardrobe.

"Please tell me who it is!" begged Ginny.

"I can't," I told her. "We promised each other we wouldn't tell until graduation."

"Graduation? But that's over a year from now!"

"Nevertheless, I'm not telling you unless we make a mutual decision to tell earlier. Stop begging."

"Will you at least tell me _about_ him?" Ginny asked irritably.

I smiled a little, looking at my hands. "He's the most amazing guy in the world," I said softly. "He makes me happy. Whenever I'm sad, he cheers me up. He does little things for me when I'm not expecting it… He'll get me flowers for no reason… He doesn't ever make me feel bad, and he loves me for me, not who he thinks he can make me be. He makes me feel beautiful, even without saying a word. He's just… perfect in every little way."

"Awww," teased Ginny.

"Shut up," I muttered.

"I'm only teasing you," said Ginny. "I think it's great that you've found someone special."

"It's more than that, Ginny. He's my perfect other half. We never fight, he always knows the right thing to say, and I've never felt this way about anyone before, not even Viktor!"

"Wow, if you love him more than you love an international Quidditch player, he must be pretty awesome," Ginny observed.

"Ha ha," I said dryly. "I'm serious. I think he's the One."

Ginny smiled. "I already have my One."

"Who?"

"Harry?" she said in a "duh" tone of voice.

"Oh, yeah," I said, feeling stupid. I wasn't used to the fact that they were going out.

"Just tell me this," she said. "Would I like him?"

I didn't say anything.

"Oh, my God, it's Malfoy, isn't it?"

I still didn't say anything.

"I can't believe you! You're dating Malfoy?"

"I never said that."

"Yes, but I know it's true."

I looked at her.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Keeping my promise," I said. "I'm not actually _telling _you who I'm dating."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut."

"I know you will. Just… Please, be supportive? He's changed. I know I sound like every other girl infatuated with her boyfriend, but honestly. This is love, Ginny. He made fun of me for the first six and a half years that I knew him. You think I'd say he changed if I didn't believe it wholeheartedly?"

"No," she sighed. "Fine. I'll give him a chance."

"Thanks," I said. "I swear to Merlin, if you tell—"

"I won't!" she said. "Not even Harry."

"Good. Oh, my gosh, I'm so nuts about him though!"

She stood. "Excuse me while I go and vomit."

"Ginny!"

"Okay, okay. You're happy, and that's what's important, I guess."

"You guess?"

"You sprung this on me, let's not forget. I need some adjustment time."

"You weaseled it out of me, let's not forget. At least I'm not dating Ron."

"Bad mental images, Hermione…"

"Well, then, don't judge me. People can't help who they fall in love with."

"I'm not judging, I'm just taking time to adjust."

"Fine. I'm going to bed, okay? I'm tired."

"Okay. Night. Oh, here, have a present," Ginny said, handing me a small box. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks."

I opened it to find a pair of cute dangly earrings. "Thanks, Gin!" I called.

"You're welcome!" she called back from the common room.

I smiled as I put them in my wardrobe. My favorite present had been a necklace that Draco had given me. It was silver, and said "My Love" in cursive writing. I took it out and put it on, not caring that I was going to sleep. I put on a new pair of pajamas he'd given me—pink silk—and climbed into bed.

Man, I loved birthdays.


	3. Chapter 3

I glanced around furtively as I made my way to the Room of Requirement. Draco had owled me that morning, saying that he needed to talk to me, so I was going to meet him.

_I need to see Draco,_ I thought, walking back and forth three times until the door appeared. I opened it, then entered, shutting it tightly behind me.

"Hey," I said as I saw him, standing off to the side. The room wasn't big like it normally was; it was small, and was furnished with two small couches and a coffee table.

"Hey," he said quietly. I was surprised at how emotionless he was. Usually when we met up—in private, anyway—he would greet me with a smile and a kiss. Now, he stood facing away from me. I knew in my gut that this was not good.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly. If I'd pissed him off—I hadn't, that I knew of, unless…

Oh, crap. Ginny knew.

My logic took over. Ginny had sworn to keep a secret, and she always kept her word. So what was this about?

"We can't see each other anymore," he said, and the pain in his voice was extremely obvious, nearly tangible.

"W—what?" I asked, puzzled.

"It wasn't that easy to say the first time, so I'd really like to not have to say it again," he said.

"But… but why?" I asked.

"I can't be with you," he said quietly, still not looking at me.

"I… I don't understand!" I whispered. "What did I do wrong?"

He was in front of me, faster than my eyes could track, one hand on my cheek, the other on my neck. "No, Hermione, no, no, it wasn't you… You've done nothing wrong!" he said desperately, pain evident in his eyes.

I looked away, feeling tears spill over the rims of my eyes, trickling down my cheeks. "I don't understand," I whispered.

"It's not you, Hermione, it's me!" he cried, wiping away my tears. "It's my fault, all my fault!"

"Why, though?" I asked, feeling my heart breaking.

"I…" He released me, running a hand through his hair. He turned and hit the wall with the heel of his hand. I flinched at the loud noise, backing up a little.

He didn't say anything, and neither did I. I didn't want to push him, so I stood, motionless and silent.

"I'm not good," he finally said, sounding exhausted.

"Yes, you are," I said.

"I'm not," he mumbled. "I'm…"

"What?" I asked when he stopped.

"I'm a Death Eater," he whispered.

"W…What?" I said, uncomprehending.

He turned on me, an angry glint in his eye and yanked up his left sleeve. A Dark Mark stood out against his pale skin, impossible to miss.

"No," I whispered, feeling my heart shatter. "No. You can't be! You're not evil! You're good!"

"I didn't want to," Draco whispered, his voice breaking. "My father made me! I didn't want to!"

Then he was crying. He sat down on a couch and put his head in his hands. "I can't, Hermione, I can't put you in danger like this! It's not safe for you! I'm evil now!"

I sat down next to him and put my arm around him. "Draco," I said softly. "Look at me."

He looked at me, and I saw that tears were streaming from his silver eyes. I kissed him softly, and he pushed me away. "No, Hermione," he said in a hard voice.

"Draco…"

"I said no!" he shouted, standing up suddenly. I flinched.

He could see that he had scared me. "I'm sorry," he said gently, sitting back down. "I just can't risk you getting hurt! If you got hurt and it was my fault… I'd never forgive myself."

"Draco…"

"No, Hermione, don't tell me that I'm not evil, because I am!"

"Will you shut up for a second?" I snapped.

He looked taken aback. "Yes, ma'am."

"Don't you try to patronize me, Draco Malfoy. Now let's get this straight. If you think I'm going to let this come between us, then you're an idiot! I'm not so shallow that I'd let a tattoo on your arm turn my love away from you!"

"It's not the fucking tattoo, Hermione; it's what lies inside it! Because of this, I'm a supporter of Voldemort! I'm evil!"

"No you're not, and if you say that one more time, I'm going to hex you!"

"Good. I deserve it."

"Ugh, would you just listen to me? _I don't care!_" I said. "I love you! I will always love you! Do you have any idea what it would do to me if you left? I would have absolutely no reason to live! I might as well kill myself!"

His face went white. "No… Hermione, no, don't say that!" he begged.

"Well, get a clue, then!" I said. "I don't care! I love you, no matter what! I won't get hurt; I can handle myself!"

"Why on earth did you think that?"

"Because if Harry can take on Voldemort and live, so can I. I have just as much magical capability as he does! I'm not scared, Draco!"

"I am," he whispered. "Hermione, please, I don't want to risk it!"

"I'm willing to," I said. "That may sound reckless and stupid, and it probably is, but when you're in love, it doesn't matter."

He gathered me into his arms and kissed my forehead softly. I snuggled closer into his chest.

"What are you thinking?" I asked after a few moments.

"That I'm incredibly selfish," he sighed.

"Why?"

"Because if I weren't, I'd tell you to stay away from me for your own safety. But since I'm selfish, I'm going against my better judgment, and am going to stay with you."

I tilted my head up and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too. And that's why I shouldn't be selfish, but I'm going to," he said.

I couldn't be happier.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, guys! Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Sorry I've been slacking a little. I have finals this week and spend most of my time studying. Today I thought "what the hell" and decided to spend my evening writing. Many, many updates/new stories :) (possibly) Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!**

**Pansy POV**

"Oh, my God!" whispered Astoria.

"What?" I asked, startled. We were in the library, studying for exams, and I'd been tuning out the world around me. It wasn't very much, because it was nearly eleven o'clock at night, but still…

"Listen!" she hissed.

I listened and heard murmuring and the sound of kissing a few rows over. "What the hell?" I hissed quietly.

"It's Draco, and… I can't tell who he's with!" she said quietly.

We snuck around to the row right next to theirs, concealing ourselves behind a potted plant just in case they emerged.

"I love you," came a vaguely familiar female voice.

"I love you, too," Draco murmured.

Kissing.

"Please, can I tell them?"

"No," Draco said. "Just… not yet."

"But they deserve to know!"

"Yeah, they'd _really _understand this," Draco retorted scathingly.

"That's true," said the girl. "But still… they've never lied to me, and I just feel so guilty!"

"I promise, we'll tell them. All of them. Soon. Just… not yet. We need to figure it out. I can't have my father finding out that we're together. Voldemort… he'd capture you. Hurt you. Torture you for information on him. I can't let that happen to you, I just can't!"

"I can handle myself, Draco," she murmured.

"Yes, I know, but _I _don't want you to have to handle yourself. We can't tell until the end of next year; he knows exactly where to find you. And even if you weren't his friend, Voldemort would hurt you because of the fact that you're with me, and I'm devoting more time to you than I am to him! I can't let that happen to you! We have to keep it secret! Because if someone finds out, my father will find out, guaranteed. Which means that Voldemort will find out."

"You're right," she murmured. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for," he said softly. "Come on, it's late. I'll walk you to your common room. Everyone else will be in bed by now."

We held our breath as they emerged. When we saw who he was with, we both let out a small gasp.

Draco stopped. "Did you hear something?"

"I think it was just the wind. See, the windows are open."

"Oh, yeah. Come on, let's go."

Astoria and I gaped as he and Hermione Granger left the library.

"Oh, my God!" I whispered.

"This is not acceptable," she seethed. She stormed back to our things, unearthed a clean piece of parchment and a quill, then began scribbling frantically on it.

"What are you writing?" I asked. I knew that it wasn't notes.

"A letter."

"To who?"

"Lucius Malfoy."


	5. Chapter 5

"No running in the corridors!" I called as two second-year Hufflepuffs ran past me.

I shook my head as they ignored me and kept running. The younger students were particularly boisterous, and more likely to disobey school rules. I turned the corner to head down the seventh floor, past the Room of Requirement and the Vanishing Cabinet.

Suddenly, two sets of hands grabbed me. I opened my mouth to scream, but a hand clamped down over it.

"If you make a sound, bitch, I swear to Merlin, it will be the last thing you ever do!" snarled a female voice in my ear. "Now, without turning around, get down on your knees!"

Slowly, I did as she told me. She took my wand, then muttered a binding curse, that way I couldn't fight back. She dragged me to the Vanishing Cabinet and shoved me inside, following me.

I took in my new surroundings. I was in an unfamiliar room, which was furnished with old-fashioned stuff. I couldn't fathom where we were, or who made up the other half of the term "we".

She came around in front of me, and I gasped.

"Astoria!" I snarled.

"I thought I told you to shut up, bitch!" she snapped, kicking me. I cried out in pain.

A door opened behind me, and I heard two new sets of footsteps.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" drawled a horribly familiar voice. Lucius Malfoy walked around and stood in front of me, lifting my chin with his leather boot to look at my face. "Ah, Miss Granger, is it?" I jerked my head away.

"I'd use the term 'Mudblood', but that's just me," came another spine-chilling voice. Bellatrix Lestrange cackled as she also walked around to stand by my head.

"Thank you, Astoria," said Lucius. "You may go."

There was a crack, and Astoria Disapparated.

"Now, what is this I hear about you dating my son?" Lucius said in a soft, but unmistakably deadly, voice.

"What did you hear?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well, I heard that you were screwing my son, and that you were after his money."

"That's not true," I said. "Draco and I are in love."

"Don't you ever say that!" snarled Lucius, grabbing her by the hair. "You're not going to ruin my son!"

"I didn't ruin him! You did!" I spat. "You're the one who tattooed his fucking arm against his will!"

"Silence!" roared Lucius, flinging me against the wall. I cried out as my head smacked into it, hard.

"I'm going to say this once, and once only," he whispered, standing over me. "I will let you go if you make the Unbreakable Vow that you will never go near my son again. What'll it be, Mudblood?"

"Bite me, Malfoy!" I snapped.

"If that's how you want it," he said. "_Crucio_!"

I screamed as the curse hit me. Trapped as I was, I couldn't struggle, and it made it all the more unbearable.

As the curse lifted, I began to cry. I shrieked as he dragged me to my feet by my hair. He pulled me across the room, then shoved me down the stairs into the cellar.

I began sobbing as I hit the ground, but it wasn't enough to block out the sound of the door locking.

I'd really messed up. And now I was going to pay for it.


	6. Chapter 6

Draco POV

Where the hell was Hermione?

I paced back and forth in the Room of Requirement. She was supposed to meet me here three hours ago! At first I'd been annoyed, but now I was getting worried. I decided to look for her.

Maybe she just had her rounds extended. I decided to go on her route and see where she'd gone.

I went out into the corridor and approached a portrait of tree wizards playing Exploding Snap.

"Hey, guys, have you seen a witch go by here?" I asked.

"Several," said one.

"Did you see Prefect Granger?"

"Who is that?"

"Curly brown hair, walks by here every day?"

"Ah, yes. Someone attacked her and dragged her into the Vanishing Cabinet."

My stomach dropped. "What? Who?"

"Two girls. I don't know who. One was blonde, one had dark hair."

"What? Is she hurt?" I demanded fearfully.

"They tied her up before dragging her in. I've no idea where they took her," the wizard said, looking extremely bored.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked hurriedly.

He nodded. "Positive."

"Thank you!" I threw out. I took off at a dead sprint for the Great Hall.

I knocked over a few fourth years who shouted at me as I rounded a corner. I ignored them and kept running.

I screeched to a stop in the doorway. Please be here, please be here...

"Oh, thank God!" I gasped, taking off for the Gryffindor table.

I didn't stop myself soon enough, so I slammed into the table.

"Ow!" I yelled, regaining my balance.

"Malfoy, what the hell?" Ron shouted.

"Hermione's in trouble!" I gasped out.

"What?" Harry demanded. "What kind of trouble?"

"Someone tied her up and dragged her into the Vanishing Cabinet outside the Room of Requirement."

"Well then, let's go!" said Ginny, swinging her legs over the bench.

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Ron said. "Don't just go running off! How do we know he's not lying?"

"Okay, you know what? I was supposed to wait until graduation, but I can't! Hermione and I are in love! We've been seeing each other since Christmas. I was waiting for her, and she didn't show up, and I got worried! I asked a portrait on her route, and he told me what happened. Anyway... She needs help. I need your help. I don't know what I'm gonna find, and I'm going to need your help."

"You had better be lying," Ron snarled in a low voice.

I shook my head. "I'm not. I know your pissed, and I get that. I'm me, she's Hermione, and you're you. But I love her, Weasley. I would do anything for her. And right now, I need your help. All of you."

"Of course," said Harry.

"Whatever. I don't believe him," said Ron, standing up and walking away.

"Unbelievable," muttered Ginny. "is there anyone else we can get?"

"Probably Blaise. He's my best mate, and I know he'll be supportive about this."

Ginny nodded. "Let's go," she said. Be by the cabinet in ten minutes. I need to change my shoes."

"I'll get my Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. He looked at me. "Go get Zabini."

I nodded as they took off running. I headed over to the Slytherin table at a run.

"Blaise!" I said. "I need your help! It's urgent!"

He stared at me. "Dude, you look terrified!"

"My girlfriend's been kidnapped! I need help getting her back!"

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Yes, we've been seeing each other since Christmas. Are you coming, or not?"

"Yeah," he said immediately, standing up.

He followed me at a run to the entrance hall. "So who is it?"

"Hermione Granger," I panted. "I swear to God, Blaise, if you make any cracks about her, I will kick your ass."

"I won't," he promised. "You really love her, don't you? I can tell by the look on your face."

We arrived at the cabinet then, panting. When I caught my breath, I answered him.

"Yes, I love her. More than anything. If I lose her... I won't have anything to live for. She means everything to me. I can't lose her." Tears came into my eyes.

Blaise squeezed my shoulder. "We'll find her. I promise."

I nodded, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "We have to. I can't lose her. I just can't lose her!" I sobbed over and over.

"Draco, calm down!" Blaise said, trying to calm me.

"What's going on?" asked Harry, coming down the corridor with Ginny.

"He's freaking out. He's deluding himself into thinking that Hermione is gonna die, and I can't talk him down."

"Malfoy, calm down!" said Harry. I didn't even hear him.

SMACK! I jerked as Ginny slapped me in the face.

"What the hell?" I said, so shocked I stopped crying. Before I could reach up and rub my face, she had shoved me against the wall.

"You listen to me, Malfoy! We are going to find her, and we are going to save her! But if you want to save her, then you better stop crying and get it together! Because if we have to fight and you're crying, you won't be any help! So get it the fuck together, or I will kick your skinny, white, Slytherin ass from here to graduation!"

Extremely taken aback, I nodded.

"Good. Let's go," she said, backing up.

I looked at them all. "Be careful," I said. "Let's partner up."

"I'll go with you," said Ginny.

"Ginny-" protested Harry.

"Harry, it'll be fine. I trust him," said Ginny.

Harry looked torn, but nodded.

"Great," I said. "Okay, you guys go under the Cloak. We'll go first."

Harry pulled Ginny to him and kissed her. "Be careful."

"Always," she said. She turned to Draco. "Let's go."

He nodded, turning to the other guys. "Be careful. Wait five minutes, and then follow. Whatever you do, don't reveal yourselves. If something goes wrong, go back and get Dumbledore, McGonagall, or Snape. Good luck."

Ginny and I looked at each other. "Ready?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded. "Let's go kick some ass."

I shook my head in disbelief as I opened the cabinet. "I'll go first."

I ducked inside the cabinet, feeling the whoosh as it transported me. Ginny was right behind me.

"Shhh," I mouthed, raising my wand as I went to open the cabinet.

She raised hers as I slowly opened the cabinet door and stepped out into the room.

We were in a room with old-fashioned furniture. It was similar to the style at my house, but was unfamiliar.

Faintly, I heard a very feminine scream, and my heart leaped into my chest. "Hermione," I breathed.

I started to take off running, but Ginny grabbed my arm.

"Let go of me," I snarled.

"No!" she hissed. "If you take off running, you'll get lost and have no idea how to get back! Just go slowly and quietly!"

I nodded. "I guess."

We slowly made our way forward. The screams had stopped, so there was no way to follow Hermione's voice now.

Wherever we were was big. It was dark and musty and old. And creepy.

There was a creak from nearby. I jumped, startled; Ginny grabbed my arm in a reflex reaction. We both froze.

"I don't think it was anything," I said after a moment. "Let's just keep going."

She nodded, but didn't move.

"Get off me, will you?" I said, shaking my arm.

"Sorry!" she whispered. "I keep forgetting you're not Harry."

"I take offense."

She smacked me on the arm. "Usually I'm with him in these types of situations. I can usually hold onto his arm or something."

"Well, please try to remember."

Suddenly, there was a bloodcurdling scream from a door directly ahead.

Hermione.

I burst into the room, Ginny right behind me.

Hermione was trussed up in the middle of the floor, crying. Standing over her was...

I gasped at the sight of the very last person I ever expected to see.

A/N: Cliffie! :D Send in a review with your guess as to who YOU think it is! I'm not updating until I get some answers!

See? Incentives are a good thing. )

Peace out

xoxoOliviaxoxo


	7. Chapter 7

"Ron!" gasped Ginny.

"Draco!" cried Hermione. "Ginny!"

Weasley turned to glare at us. His eyes widened a fraction at the sight of his sister, but he dismissed his shock and turned towards me, glaring viciously as he raised his wand, standing between me and the love of my life.

"I didn't believe you at first," he said in a low voice. "But you were right; this gives me the perfect opportunity to get rid of you, and get the girl I want. I had to see if you were right; you were, so I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity."

"Why, Ron?" Ginny whispered.

"I love her!" Ron shouted, making Ginny and Hermione both flinch. "I want her, and I will have her!"

"Over my dead body," I snarled, moving forward.

"That can be arranged," came another voice, female, from behind me.

I whirled to see Aunt Bellatrix standing there, her wand pointing at me. "I figured we'd hear from you soon. But I didn't expect to have such a pile of redheaded filth in my house," she said in a disgusted tone.

"Please, Ms. Lestrange, I swear to Merlin that I'll take her and go!" Ron said, obviously continuing a conversation from earlier. "He'll never find her, and she'll never escape me!"

"No!" I snarled.

"I don't believe you," Bellatrix hissed. "You're in league with them!"

"No, I'm not. Give me Veritaserum; force me to tell the truth! I swear! All I want is her!"

Bellatrix eyed him calculatingly for a moment. "Very well," she said. "Take the girl. If you ever let her escape you, it will mean the death of you, her, and your entire family."

"I understand," he said. He bent and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder, still tied up.

"Draco!" she cried. "Help me! Don't let him take me!"

I snapped. "Let her go!" I roared, running forward.

"Stupefy!" screeched Bellatrix. I ducked the jet of red light and tackled Weasley from behind.

We hit the deck as Bellatrix and Ginny began dueling. I punched Ron in the face, then pointed my wand at Hermione's bonds. "Diffindo!"

She scrambled free, then scurried off to the side.

We all turned to see…

"Father!" I gasped. Hermione screamed; I pushed her behind me, angling myself between them.

"Well, Draco, I am disappointed in you," he drawled. "To think you'd resort to Muggle dueling against a Weasley over a _Mudblood_."

"Don't call her that!" I snarled. "How dare you do this to the woman I love? I'm your son!"

"I will call her that! And you, Draco, are no son of mine! I would rather have no son than have one who is a blood traitor!"

"Fine, then, punish me for it! But leave her out of this!"

"Ah, Draco, that's the thing. Punishment never did work well on you; you always kept doing whatever it was you shouldn't be doing. So I'm simply going to rid the world of her… Then I know for certain that you're obeying me." He raised his wand.

I braced myself in front of Hermione, preparing to take the brunt of his rage. I couldn't reach my wand to defend her, so I did what I could to protect her.

A jet of red light shot from the seemingly empty doorway, sending my father flying against the opposite wall.

Harry yanked off the Invisibility Cloak and went for Bellatrix with a roar. Blaise charged at Weasley, sending a hex at him, which was, unfortunately, blocked.

Harry alone was no match for Bellatrix, so Ginny went to fight alongside him.

"Run!" she screeched. "Get her out of here!"

Hermione clung to me, trembling. I knew Blaise could handle Weasley; Blaise was good, and Weasley was an idiot. But Harry and Ginny…

I snatched my wand from the floor where it had fallen, then sent a Stunning Spell at Bellatrix from behind, when she wasn't looking.

She fell to the ground, unconscious. Harry and Ginny stood over her, breathing heavily, just as Blaise took down Weasley.

I turned and pulled Hermione close. She was trembling violently.

"Shhhh, shhhh, it's okay, you're safe, it's okay, you're okay, it's over," I murmured soothingly, stroking her hair.

"I was so scared!" she wept.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. There was a shout, a flash of purple light, and a crack as Hermione jerked, then collapsed in my arms. My father had shot a spell at Hermione and Disapparated.

"NO!" I roared. "Hermione, please, love, wake up!" I begged.

"Let's go!" Blaise said. "Go on ahead; we'll handle Weasel."

I swung her up into my arms and took off through the house, scared that she wasn't strong enough.

Scared that she was going to die.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys! SOOOOO sorry for taking so long to update! (Senior year does that to a person if they want to get into college lol) You'll all like this (hopefully): I have decided to major in creative writing when I go to college! Woot woot!**

**Anyway, as always, read, review, and enjoy! 3**

It felt like it took me years to reach the Vanishing Cabinet. Part of that was sheer panic, and the rest of it… Well, let's just say that I would've been happier if Hermione had been awake and nagging me to pull over and ask a portrait for directions.

I digress.

Finally, after several exhausting eons of running around (she's not exactly made of cotton balls, and if any of you ever repeat that to her, I might decide to start practicing hexes on you) I found it. I dragged open the door, swung her awkwardly over my shoulder, and clambered inside.

The cabinet whisked me back to Hogwarts as soon as the door was shut. I burst out into the corridor, then took off running.

I nearly took down a small group of first year Hufflepuffs on the staircase, and a pair of fifth-year Ravenclaws three floors down. It pissed me off; why couldn't people just get the hell out of my way? I was trying to get my unconscious girlfriend to the hospital wing, for Merlin's sake! This was SUCH a typical Monday!

"Madam Pomfrey!" I bellowed as I burst through the doors.

She scurried out of her office. "Oh, my goodness! Set her down here!" she ordered, going into business mode.

I carefully set Hermione down on the bed that Madam Pomfrey had directed me to, then backed up to give her room.

"What happened?"

"Someone kidnapped her, with the Vanishing Cabinet on the seventh floor! My father and my Aunt Bellatrix found out that we're secretly dating, and they attacked her. Potter, Zabini, and Ginny Weasley came with me to rescue her, and my father cursed her! I don't know what curse he used, I've never seen a curse with purple light before!"

Madam Pomfrey paled. "Did you say purple?" she whispered.

"Yes," I replied, fear rising in me. "Why? What's it do?"

"It's when the caster of the spell tampers with the memory of the one who they are cursing. He planted some vision in her head, and I doubt it'll be one of rainbows and bunnies."

"Can you get it out?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm terribly sorry, but only the one who cast the spell can reverse it, and it's an incredibly complex process. I've never even seen it done. It's highly likely that that memory is implanted in her brain permanently."

"Oh, God," I moaned, sinking into the bedside chair.

"With proper counseling, however, she can learn that it's not real, and she can learn to live with it," Madam Pomfrey explained. "Did she get harmed in any other way?"

"I don't think so," I whispered. "Oh, God, is she going to be okay?"

"It's too soon to tell," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Well… Will she wake up soon?"

"It depends. How long has she been unconscious?"

"I'm not sure… An hour, maybe? I lost track of time."

"Well, it all depends on the power and intensity of the curse, and how much it will alter her memory. For instance, if I did it to you, and I made you remember something minor—eating chicken instead of pork—it would be relatively short. But if he altered a major event… There's no telling."

I put my head in my hands, feeling tears well in my eyes. "Can you please get Professor Dumbledore to come here?" I whispered.

"Certainly," she said. "You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

"Thanks," I muttered as she walked away.

I looked up and gazed at Hermione. God, how could I be so stupid? If I'd just broken it off when I wanted to, if I hadn't been such a bloody coward, she wouldn't be hurt!

God, I'd messed things up. Slowly, I rolled up my sleeve and stared at the black ink tattooed there forever.

"What is _that_?" came an accusing voice.

I jerked my head up to see Harry and Ginny standing there, staring at my Mark.

I hate Mondays.

**I hope you guys liked that! More to come soon, I promise!**

**Peace out!**

**xoxoOliviaxoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys! So senior year's working out pretty well, considering the fact that I have like NO homework EVER! I've been spending a lot of time writing, so hopefully you guys are pleased with my work. As always, read, review, and enjoy!**

"This isn't what it looks like!" I gasped, yanking my sleeve over the Mark and scrambling to my feet.

Harry had cast a silencing spell on Madam Pomfrey's door and placed his wand against my throat in a split second. "It damn well better _not _be what it looks like, Malfoy," he snarled. "I will give you exactly one minute to explain before I rip your miserable, traitorous head off and throw it into the Black Lake for the giant squid to eat!"

"Okay, just listen! I'm a Death Eater! I admit it! But I don't want to be!" I explained frantically. "I just wanted to finish at Hogwarts and get the hell out of dodge, away from my father! But he forced me to join ranks with the Death Eaters!"

"When did this happen?" Harry demanded, jabbing the wand harder against my trachea.

"Just two days ago," I croaked.

"How could you do this to Hermione?" he roared. "Do you have any idea how much this is going to hurt her?!"

"She knows! As soon as I got back, I asked her to meet me in the Room of Requirement! I told her everything and tried to break it off, but she wouldn't let me!"

"Why the fuck should I believe you?" Harry snarled.

"Because I love her!" I shouted. "I love her more than anything! She means everything to me! I would do anything for her! I would never hurt her! You think I want this for her? I don't! I want to protect her, keep her safe! I'd die for her! And now, I just want to die, because my father did something to her, and it's my fault that he did! If I'd just made it a clean break, we wouldn't still be together, and this wouldn't have happened!"

Harry stared at me, stunned. I realized that there were tears running down my face. I made no attempt to hide them, simply collapsing into the chair again and sobbing.

Ginny came up to me and knelt beside the chair and took my hand. "I believe you," she said softly. "I've known about your relationship for about a month. And before you jump to the wrong conclusion, I guessed right; she never actually told me it was you, and I promised not to let anyone know. And from everything you've done for her, I know that you love her. So I believe you."

"I guess if Ginny believes you… So do I," Harry said slowly, removing the silencing charm from Madam Pomfrey's door. "Now what exactly happened to her?"

"My father altered her memory. What he did exactly, I don't know. I guess only Hermione will be able to tell us when she wakes up," I said, trying to breathe normally. "She's not hurt badly, though."

Harry sat down, back against the bed. Ginny scooted over next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. His arms encircled her waist, and she began to cry.

I ignored them, sitting there staring at Hermione's face, willing her to open her eyes.

After a long time, her eyelids fluttered.

"Guys!" I shouted, darting to kneel by her bed, taking her hand. "Hermione," I breathed. "Oh, thank God!"

Harry and Ginny shot to their feet as Hermione blinked, clearly disoriented. She turned her head and looked at me.

Then she began screaming bloody murder.

**Hope you guys liked it! More to come soon!**

**Peace out!**

**xoxoOliviaxoxo**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, guys! I hope you're enjoying this story. I was going to turn it into a chain, but once again, my mom went on a fanfic rampage and got rid of my notebook, so I lost all the specifics for each one. So you guys get a super long story. This chapter is gonna be kinda long, but that's cause I couldn't find a way to divide this segment into multiple chapters. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!**

I jumped, startled, as Hermione screamed.

"Hermione, it's okay!" shouted Harry. "It's okay!"

"Get him out!" she screamed, looking terrified.

"Hermione, love, it's all right, you're safe!" I tried to reason with her, reaching for her hand, but she jerked away from me when I touched her and clung to Ginny, who had gone around to the other side of the bed.

"What's wrong?" Ginny demanded, hugging Hermione.

"Get him out! Please! Get him out!" Hermione sobbed, shaking like mad.

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving!" I said, stunned. I glanced at Harry. "Come with me for a second?"

He nodded and followed me towards the door.

We got outside, and I rounded on him. "What the hell was that about?" I demanded, running my fingers through my hair.

"I don't know! I didn't do anything to her! I was with you the entire time!"

I felt the blood leave my face. _I didn't do anything to her_, he'd said.

My father had.

"Oh, God," I whispered. "It was him. Whatever my father did to her is making her react like this!"

"What do you mean?"

"He altered her memory. What if he put a memory in her brain that would cause her to be afraid of me? Something terrifying?"

I began to shake. That was exactly the type of thing that my father would do. "What do I do?" I asked, terrified.

"Go to Dumbledore," he urged. "Ginny and I'll look after her. Go get him, and hurry!"

"I can't, I don't know where his office is. You get him!"

"Okay, what do I tell him?"

"Just tell him to come here immediately! Wait, get Ginny first!"

"For what?!"

"I need to talk to her, and I can't go in without Hermione freaking out again!"

Harry rolled his eyes, then went back into the hospital wing.

After a few seconds, he returned, Ginny on his heels.

"Thanks, Potter. Now please, go get Dumbledore."

Harry nodded once, then took off running.

"What's going on now?" Ginny asked.

"I think my father put a frightening memory of me in Hermione's mind. Potter's gone to get Dumbledore."

"So are you going to wait out here so that you don't upset Hermione?"

I nodded. "Stay with her, and try to calm her down. Don't explain about the memory altering thing, let Dumbledore or Madam Pomfrey do that."

Ginny nodded. "All right. I'll try and keep her calmed down. What do I say if she asks what happened?"

"Tell her that Harry's going to get Dumbledore, and they'll explain everything.

"Okay. Just stay here, got it?"

"Where would I go?"

She rolled her eyes, then went back inside.

I backed up until my back hit the wall, then slid down so that I was sitting on the stone floor. After a minute or so, I let the tears flow again.

How could this happen to her? Why couldn't it have been me? This was all my fault! I should've just stayed in my dormitory the night of the masquerade! Then, I'd never have met up with her, and I would never have fallen in love with her!

_Ah, but you would have kept being cruel to her, so you would have been hurting her yourself, _said a voice in my head.

"Better a school bully than a Death Eater!" I argued with it.

"Yes, but you would have become a Death Eater anyway," said the voice. "And then you would have been _trying _to harm her like this."

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my fists to my forehead. "This is my fault!" I whispered aloud.

"What exactly is your fault, Mr. Malfoy?" came a voice.

I looked up to see Dumbledore.

"She got hurt because of me," I whispered. "Where's Potter?"

"This I do not know," said Dumbledore. "I received an owl from Madam Pomfrey regarding Miss Granger having been abducted, and I returned at once. I assume that Miss Granger is the 'she' to whom you were referring?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Mr. Malfoy. Why don't we go up to my office and discuss this."

Just then, Potter rounded the corner, panting. "Couldn't… find… him…" he panted. Then he caught sight of Dumbledore. "Son… of… a… banshee…" he gasped out, clutching his side. "He's…here…already…?!"

"Madam Pomfrey owled him," I said.

"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "What exactly is going on?"

"Let me get Ginny," Potter said, starting to breathe normally again.

A minute later, the three of us were following Dumbledore up toward his office.

"How is she?" I asked Ginny.

"Still freaking out.," Ginny replied gravely.

Before I could respond, Dumbledore stopped in front of a stone gargoyle. "Reese's Pieces."

"Sir… What are Reese's Pieces?" asked Potter as the gargoyle came to life and jumped aside. "His password's always a candy," he added at my puzzled look.

"Reese's Pieces is a Muggle candy. I highly recommend it," Dumbledore said simply before stepping onto the now-visible revolving staircase.

We followed him upstairs. In his office, he took a seat behind his desk, then conjured three purple armchairs for us.

"All right," he said once we'd sat down. "Please explain."

Potter and Ginny looked at me.

"Um… Well, I guess you need to know the backstory. At the Christmas Masquerade, I asked Hermione to dance. I didn't know that it was her, and that allowed me to see her for who she really is, not for what my father taught me to see her as. At midnight, we revealed our identities to each other, and even though we were stunned, we agreed that we wanted to keep seeing each other. We decided it had to be kept secret so that no one would make fun of us.

"Two days ago, my father forced me to join the Death Eaters," I said, rolling up my sleeve and burning with shame. "I didn't want to, I swear. Anyway, I knew it wouldn't be safe for her if we kept seeing each other, so I tried to break it off with her. She wouldn't let me, and she said that it would tear her apart if we weren't together. I couldn't hurt her like that, so I agreed.

"Then, someone dragged her into the Vanishing Cabinet, and my father was at the other end of it, with my Aunt Bellatrix. They tortured her. The portrait of the three wizards playing Exploding Snap outside the Room of Requirement told me what happened. I ran to get Potter, Weasley, Ginny, and Blaise. I told them we'd been seeing each other, and what had happened. Weasley said I was full of it and took off. Potter went to get his Invisibility Cloak, and then we split up to go find her. I went with Ginny, and Potter went with Zabini.

"We found Hermione after about half an hour. Weasley was there, arguing with Bellatrix. She wanted to kill Hermione. Weasley was asking her to let him kidnap her for himself instead. She agreed, but we attacked before he could take her. Blaise and Potter got into it, and then we were all fighting. I knocked out Bellatrix, and Blaise knocked out Weasley.

"But before we could make a run for it, my father cursed Hermione with a memory-altering curse. She was unconscious until about twenty minutes ago. When she woke up and saw me, she started screaming. Then you arrived."

"Wait a moment," said Dumbledore. "Where are Mr. Weasley and Mr. Zabini?"

"I'm not sure," said Ginny. "Zabini was going to drag Ron back; he was unconscious."

"We'll come back to that. Now, as to Miss Granger's predicament… How long ago was she cursed?"

"About six hours."

Dumbledore's eyes slid shut. "I was afraid of that."

"What? What does that mean?" I begged.

"If it's a small memory, such as forgetting what you ate for dinner the previous night, it will only knock the person out for a moment. But this… He altered many of her memories."

My stomach dropped. "Wait… So did he… Did he alter every single memory she had of me?"

"How strong was her reaction?"

"I didn't even recognize her," said Ginny. "I've never seen her so terrified. She kept begging me to have Malfoy kicked out of Hogwarts, or else she'd kill herself."

"I don't want you to put more faith in me than I deserve, so I'll say it this way. I don't expect that I'll be able to fully restore her memory to what it was before she was attacked. But I'm hopeful that I may be able to restore it enough to reason with her."

"Can you convince her that I'm not going to hurt her?" I pleaded. "Or at least give her a calming draught so that I can speak to her?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Very well. I shall try, but please, Mr. Malfoy, try to remember that this will most likely fail."

I nodded. "Please, sir… Just try."

He nodded. "I will do my best."

"Thank you," I breathed. There was hope, after all.


	11. Chapter 11

I trailed behind Dumbledore with Potter and Ginny as we headed back to the hospital wing. Dumbledore had owled ahead, telling Madam Pomfrey to give Hermione a calming draught, one quick enough to kick in before we arrived.

"It'll be okay, Malfoy," Ginny said. "Hermione will remember how much you love her, and she'll understand what happened."

"Wow, never thought I'd hear anyone talking about how much a Malfoy loved Hermione Granger," Potter said, sounding darkly amused.

"I am sure you did not expect to be told that you were a wizard on your eleventh birthday, but alas, you were. Some of the greatest things in life are the things we do not expect."

"Yes, sir," Potter said, sighing.

At the door of the hospital wing, Dumbledore turned to talk to me. "Mr. Malfoy. I want you to listen very closely to what I am about to say. I am going to try to reason with Miss Granger, but based on the reaction you said she gave earlier, I don't know how docile she will be, even with the potion. If her reaction is too strong, I am going to ask that you step outside. I will do my very best to help her, so whatever I ask you to do, please do so. Have I made myself clear?"

I nodded. "Perfectly clear, sir."

"Good. Then let us press on."

We walked into the hospital, where Madam Pomfrey was standing beside Hermione's bed.

"No," Hermione whispered, fear showing on her face as we made eye contact. "Please, make him get out."

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy is not here to harm you," said Dumbledore. "He is involved in this very strongly, and it would be extremely beneficial for him to remain here for the duration of this conversation, if you would agree to that. If he does indeed attempt to harm you, I am here and I will not allow it. I am leaving the decision up to you."

Hermione looked to Ginny and Harry. Harry gave her a sad smile, and Ginny squeezed her hand. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

"Very good. Miss Granger, what do you remember about what happened to you?"

Hermione furrowed her brow. "I… I remember pain. Lots of pain. His face… His laughter… He was hurting me." She pointed at me, and my heart sank. "But… It's fuzzy. I remember Bellatrix Lestrange. And I think that Ron was there, too."

Dumbledore nodded. "What do you remember about the days leading up to this?"

"I… I remember the Christmas ball. Malfoy unmasked himself, then I did too. He pointed his wand at me and told me that if I didn't do exactly as he said, he would kill me. He used me for sex, then told me it would become a regular arrangement. It went on until a few days ago. Then he made me meet him in the Room of Requirement and told me that he'd joined ranks with the Death Eaters. I tried to run, but he grabbed me and started hitting me. He told me that if I ever told anyone, he would have the Death Eaters hunt down my parents and kill them. And that they would kill Harry, Ron, Ginny, and all the Weasleys if I didn't listen to him. Then when I was on patrol today, he grabbed me and dragged me into the Vanishing Cabinet. The rest of it is a blur… I remember pain, and the sound of his voice laughing as he hurt me." Her face whitened and she clung to Ginny as she stared at me.

Dumbledore turned to Madam Pomfrey. "Poppy, would you kindly fetch Severus for me, please? Tell him to come at once, and to bring the strongest truth potion he possesses." Madam Pomfrey nodded and rushed from the hospital.

I sat down in a chair by the foot of Hermione's bed. She cringed away, eyeing me fearfully. I sighed, my heart sinking.

"Professor?" Ginny asked. "May I try something?"

"Certainly, Miss Weasley," said Dumbledore courteously.

"Hermione?" Ginny said softly.

"What?" Hermione asked timidly.

"Hermione… Do you remember what happened on your birthday?"

"Um… He made me meet him in the Room of Requirement, like he did every other time."

"And do you remember what happened when you got back to the dormitory?"

"Um…" She furrowed her brow and closed her eyes. "I did something to my wardrobe… I made it a walk-in wardrobe… And I had a bunch of things to put in it."

"Do you remember what those things were?" Ginny asked.

"I remember some pajamas… A pink dress… Some earrings… A necklace…"

"Yes. The necklace. What did the necklace say?" Ginny asked, holding Hermione's hand.

"It said… I think it said 'My Love'," Hermione said, furrowing her brow hard.

"Do you remember who gave it to you?"

"I… My mind is telling me it was him," she said, pointing at me, "…but I… It doesn't make sense. He was hurting me."

"No, Hermione," I murmured softly. "I would never, ever hurt you.. Ever. I couldn't."

She stared at me cautiously. "Why should I believe that?"

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. "Hermione, I'm going to come sit beside you. I'm not going to touch you. I'm just going to sit. All right?"

"All right," she whispered after a few seconds of hesitation.

Slowly, so as not to frighten her further, I moved to sit in the chair beside her. She inched back slightly, and I felt a pang.

"Hermione, please, look at me. Look in my eyes and listen."

Trembling, she did so as she held on to Ginny's hand. Her brown eyes were wide and frightened as she looked at me.

"Hermione, I would never hurt you," I said, letting my eyes convey all the emotion I was feeling.

She stared at me for a few seconds. "I believe you," she whispered. "I know I shouldn't, but… I believe you. I don't understand."

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy is not the one who attacked you," Dumbledore said gently. "It was his father. Mr. Malfoy was the one who rescued you.."

"But… But I remember that it was him!" Hermione said, looking frightened.

"This is because Lucius Malfoy cursed you. You were unconscious for several hours. Have you heard of the Limbo Curse?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. That's the one where the caster can access the victim's memories and change them, right?"

"That's correct," Dumbledore said gravely.

It was quiet.

"Wait… Are you saying… Are you saying that someone cast the Limbo Curse on me?"

"Not someone, Hermione… Lucius Malfoy," said Potter. "I was there. So was Ginny."

"What about Ron? Where is he?"

"He was unable to attend," Dumbledore said. "Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Malfoy are the only ones who are necessary for this consultation."

Hermione nodded. "So… It wasn't you who hurt me?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "Do you remember anything about the last few months?"

"Um… Not really. I can't remember anything. It's like I start to, and then something violently pushes my brain away."

Dumbledore nodded. "That's what this spell does."

"Would you mind telling me what did happen?" Hermione asked me.

"Are you sure you wanna know?" I asked hesitantly.

She nodded. "Yes. For some strange reason, I trust you, and I can't explain why."

"Thank you, Hermione," I said quietly. "I hope that's true."

She smiled tentatively, but her expression grew worried. "So… What exactly happened?"

I took a deep breath and began to open my mouth, but before I could speak, Hermione stopped me. "Professor? Harry, Ginny? Would you mind letting me speak to him alone please?"

"Certainly, Miss Granger," said Dumbledore. "Would you like me to remain outside, or would you like me to leave?"

"Could you stay?" Potter asked. "Ginny and I can go further into detail about what happened."

"All right," said Dumbledore. "I will be right outside," he assured Hermione.

"Thank you, Professor," she said quietly.

As they left, I ran a hand through my hair. She had no good memories of me. How was I going to do this?

"So what happened?" Hermione asked quietly. "What history did we have?"

I took a deep breath. "We were in love."

She stared at me, and then opened her mouth.

**So, guys, what did you think? Sorry for taking so long to update! I've been really busy with college prep and things like that. What do you think she's gonna say to him? Will she remember that she loves him, or will she freak out again? I'd like to hear your opinions, so please, review!**

**Peace!**

**xoxoxoOliviaxoxoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, guys! So I'm totally slacking in my philosophy class cause I'm really, really bored (Don't worry, I can afford it, I have an A in the class :P You would slack too, it's four hours long!) and I've decided that Philosophy is going to be my new writing time, except for exam days. Hopefully this means I'll be able to FINALLY catch up on some of my stories, like I'm doing now :P Hope you guys like this, and so sorry for the long wait!**

**As always - come on, say it with me - read, review, and enjoy!**

"We were…in love?" Hermione demanded.

I nodded. "I guess I understand why that would be so hard for you to believe."

"More like impossible!" she said incredulously. "I can't possibly have loved you! Merlin, you'll never change! You and your little friends will stop at nothing to ruin my life, as well as Harry's and Ron's!"

"Weasel almost ruined your life!" I exclaimed. "He tried to kidnap you!" Seeing the look of outrage on her face, I cast a silencing charm on the doors to the wing and to Madam Pomfrey's office.

"You're unbelievable!" she screamed. "I could never love a monster like you! How dare you try to turn me against Ron!"

"Hermione, he tried to kidnap you! My father and my aunt tried to kill you!" I shouted.

"And so did you!" she screamed. "I remember it!"

"Merlin, Hermione, I wouldn't do that! I love you!" I shouted, standing. She flinched back in obvious terror.

Great. I'd scared her again. I ran my hand through my hair in frustration, sitting back down and putting my head in my hands.

"I love you," I replied in a broken whisper, feeling tears in my eyes as I looked up at her. "I love you, Hermione. I wouldn't hurt you. I couldn't. You're my world. My everything. I spent the better part of today worrying that I was going to lose you. I can't bear the thought of not having you in my life anymore."

"Why?" she whispered. "Why would you love _me_? How do I know that this isn't all some big trick on your part?"

"Ask Harry or Ginny. I truly love you."

She shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"You have to believe me, Hermione, please!" I begged. I knelt next to her bed, taking her hand gently. "I love you, more than anything or anyone. I would do anything for you—I'd die for you. Please, believe me."

Tears filled her eyes. "I can't, Malfoy," she whispered. "I have thoughts in my head. Memories of you hurting me. I don't know what's real and what's not, but everything feels real, and it scares me!"

"What can I do to prove it?" I begged.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"I'll do anything! I'll free my house-elves, I'll switch to Gryffindor, I'll scream it from the top of the world that I love you and you alone!"

"No, Malfoy," she said. "If you really love me, I want you to prove it to me. The memories I have of you show me that you're a coldhearted bastard who wants to hurt me. If you really love me, prove to me that you've changed."

I nodded. "I can do that. I'd do anything for you, Hermione. Anything."

She closed her eyes and lay back on her pillow. "Can you please go now?" she whispered softly. "I'm so tired and confused. Please."

I nodded. "Of course," I said gently. After hesitating for a brief moment, I stood and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She stiffened in a mixture of shock and fear, but I didn't regret doing it. That might have been the last time I got to kiss her if I didn't succeed in proving to her how I felt.

I closed my eyes and pulled my fingers from hers. As I left, my hand already ached to hold hers again as I began contemplating ways to prove how much I loved her.

I wasn't going to lose her.

**Okay, I lied, I'm not in my Philosophy class anymore, but I was when I started this chapter, and I was too lazy to go change it because I fully intend to have that be the norm :P Don't tell on me!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! My writing times have now moved to Economics and Philosophy, cause I never have stuff to do in those classes. Don't judge me! Anyway, I'm hoping that I've gotten back on track for these stories, so yay? I'm trying to get back into the stories, especially the ones I haven't worked on in a long time, so hopefully I can start cranking out some chapters soon. As always, read, review, and enjoy!**

I flung myself down on my bed, frustrated and pissed off. I wasn't angry at Hermione—how could I be? She'd done nothing wrong—she was the victim here. No, I was pissed at Weasel. And Bellatrix. And most of all, my father.

I couldn't believe him! All those years of forcing me to do Dark Magic and be a follower of Voldemort, he had the gall to ruin my life even further by hurting the one person I loved more than everything else in the world combined!

I didn't realize I'd started crying, but I looked down and saw that my hands had teardrops dotting them. I closed my eyes, mourning what had happened to Hermione. My poor angel.

There was a soft knock at the door.

_Could it be? _I thought hopefully. _Did she remember? _"Come in," I called, sitting up eagerly.

Blaise poked his head in. "It's me."

I slumped back against the pillows and cursed. "I thought you might be Hermione."

"Sorry, mate," he said apologetically, coming to sit down beside me. "So… Am I allowed to ask how this all started?" he asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you found someone to love, but… Hermione Granger? How'd that happen? I thought you hated her."

"I did," I muttered. "I don't anymore. That all stopped."

"When?" he asked. "I'm legitimately curious how you guys ended up together."

"It was at the Christmas ball," I said quietly, allowing the memory to wash over me of when my heart first stirred for her.

**Flashback**

_I stood at the edge of the Great Hall, not speaking to anyone because of my desire to remain anonymous tonight. Whatever happened at the ball would stay at the ball. Nothing mattered tonight. Not blood status, not House, nothing. I looked nothing like myself. Dark hair, darker eyes…Not even my parents would recognize me._

_A few girls eyed me with interest, but none of them really stood out to me. I recognized Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, two Gryffindor girls who had a reputation for sleeping around. Unlikely choices._

_Then I saw her._

_A young woman was approaching the refreshment table, wearing a light blue gown that sparkled whenever she moved. My breath caught in my throat as I watched her walk gracefully across the room._

_She served herself a cup of punch and then turned to survey the room. Her chocolate brown eyes met mine from behind the mask she wore, and all the breath left my body as she blushed. She was enchantingly beautiful, and I knew in that instant that I wanted to know that girl._

**End of Flashback**

"Wait, so you were into her before you didn't know who she was?" Blaise inquired.

I nodded morosely, feeling extremely depressed. "I didn't know who she was, but I knew that I wanted to be with her. She looked…so beautiful. She still is. I'd give anything for her to be safe and know how much I love her," I whispered, putting my face in my hands.

He put a hand on my shoulder. "We'll find a way to fix it, Draco," he said reassuringly.

I took a deep breath. "I spoke to her earlier."

"What did she say?" he asked.

"She said… She called me a monster. Said that she could never love me, and that she was sure that I was trying to ruin her life. She thinks that I'm lying about Weasel."

Blaise made a sound of utter disgust.

"What happened with him by the way?"

"He was giving me trouble. You know I'm not very good at offensive spells, and they kept breaking before I could get anywhere. I must have screamed the body bind curse at least three hundred times and stunned him close to two hundred."

"Where is he?" I asked.

"I managed to get ahold of his wand and used that magical rope spell. Then I had to use actual manual labor and drag him. It was absolutely ridiculous. I dragged him to Dumbledore. I think I scared a whole flock of first years who saw me dragging him through the corridors."

"Where'd you take him?"

"Dumbledore's office. Weasley kept telling me to take him to Hermione."

My head snapped up. "Tell me you didn't."

"Hell no. I wouldn't. After what he was going to do to her? I don't particularly _like _Granger, but even still, I wouldn't let him do that to her."

I looked at him. "Thank you, Blaise. I mean it. Thank you for helping me today. I couldn't have done this without your help. I know you don't like her, but you still risked a lot to help me protect her. Thank you."

He smiled. "Of course, Draco. You're my best mate. I'll always help you, and that extends to her now too."

I smiled without emotion. "Thanks."

"Do you know what you're going to try and do to help her?" he asked.

"No," I said. "She said that if I wanted her to believe me, that I'd have to prove it. I don't know what the hell I can do. She's not like other girls. I can't win her over with clothes and jewelry. I don't know what to do to impress her."

"But it's simple," Blaise said.

"What is?"

"She's already fallen for you for who you are. Just treat her how you normally do. She loves you; she just doesn't remember that she does."

I looked down, thinking. I couldn't just abandon her. I needed to prove how I felt about her. I couldn't lose her.

I lifted my head. I knew what to do.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, loyal readers. Sorry about taking so long to update, I had a medical problem going on for the past two weeks and that took up most of my brain (actually it just made my foot swell and turn purple), so I didn't think about updating or anything. My bad! I'm gonna try and get some good updating done this week, but if I don't, bear with me. Sorry again! As always, read, review, and enjoy!**

I headed toward the hospital wing, getting more nervous with every step that I took. Would she scream? Would she throw me out? Would she even see me?

I slowly opened the door and peered around it. Hermione was sitting in bed, looking extremely bored. She glanced at me, and I saw something flicker in her eyes. I couldn't tell what, but I decided to take a chance.

"Hey," I said softly, coming inside.

"Hi," she replied, and my heart ached as I thought of all the loving greetings we used to share, knowing that they were gone indefinitely.

I removed my bag from my shoulder and moved closer, holding out the bouquet of lilies and lilacs that I'd brought for her.

"Oh… Thanks," she said, sounding a bit taken aback as she accepted them. She smiled a little as she sniffed them. "These are my favorites."

"I know," I said, grinning a little bit. "I used to get some for you all the time. I know that you like them."

She looked at them and sighed.

"What is it?" I asked, sitting down in the chair beside her bed.

"Nothing," she said quietly. "Could you, um… Could you please put these in the vase? I can't reach."

"Of course," I said, placing the flowers in the vase sitting on her nightstand. "I, um… I brought you a few things I thought might make you more comfortable."

"Like what?" she asked warily.

I unzipped my bag, looking at the things Ginny had gotten from her room for me, as I neither had access to the Gryffindor common room, or the girls' dormitory even if I could get in.

"Like this," I said, pulling out her copy of _Hogwarts, A History_.

She smiled as she took the book, running her hands over its slightly battered cover. "Thank you."

I began pulling the other things out of the bag, setting them on the bed for her. Her favorite pajamas, her slippers, a blanket from her bed, her makeup bag, a bottle of her favorite perfume, and the stuffed rabbit I'd gotten her a few weeks after we'd started dating. She'd once told me that she slept with it every night.

"Thank you," She said softly, pulling the bunny to her chest. Inwardly, I sighed with relief that she didn't freak out and throw it at me.

She squeezed it, looking troubled. I could tell that there was something wrong.

"Are you all right?" I asked softly.

She shook her head. "It's just… Ron was here this morning."

My blood went cold. "What?"

"He… He tried to kiss me, and when I pushed him away, he did this," she said softly. She pulled back her sleeve to reveal a bruise on her forearm, in the shape of a hand wrapping around it.

I couldn't believe it. Dumbledore had said that Weasley would be getting expelled. How the hell had he gotten in here?!

I pulled my mind from thoughts of the soon-to-be-dead Weasel King. I turned my attention towards Hermione. Gently, I took her arm in my hands, inspecting the bruise. It looked severe.

"Merlin, Hermione… I'm so sorry," I whispered. I kissed it gently, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"I'm just scared," she whispered. "I don't know what's real and what's not! Part of me likes the feeling of you holding my hand, but the other part of me wants me to run as far and fast as I can from you. I don't know anything."

"Yes you do," I said matter-of-factly. "You know almost everything. You're Hermione."

"You know that's not what I mean."

"I know," I said, chuckling once. "It's just fun to tease you."

We were quiet for a few minutes.

"I know!" she cried loudly, making me jump at the sudden noise. "Oh, sorry."

"It's fine," I said, heart racing. "What do you know?"

"Veritaserum."

"What about it?"

"I want you to take some and then I can find out the truth."

I nodded. "That's a good idea."

I went to Madam Pomfrey's office door and knocked. She came out and smiled. "What can I do for you, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Do you have any Veritaserum?" I inquired.

"Veritaserum? Whatever for?"

"Hermione wants me to take some before I talk to her, so that she can know that I'm telling the truth. I know this is an unusual request, but it's an unusual circumstance.

"Well… I don't typically allow students to request potions, but as long as you don't upset her and check in with me periodically, I don't see why you couldn't. This is such an unusual circumstance, and there is no way that _I _can heal her. Only she can heal herself, and it'll take some time to do so."

"So you think it's a good idea?"

"Yes, I do," she said. She unsealed a drawer in her desk, removing a little box of potions. I recognized a few of them, including the tiny bottle of clear liquid she pulled out labeled _Veritaserum_.

"Open," she said, pulling out the little dropper.

"Would you mind doing it in front of her? This way she knows I'm being completely honest."

"Of course," she said, following me out to Hermione's bed.

"She said yes?" Hermione asked.

"I did," Madam Pomfrey said. "Are you both ready?"

Hermione nodded. "I want to know the truth."

"All right. Mr. Malfoy. I'm going to administer the potion, and after it's been in your system for a few moments, I will ask you your name. I want you to try to reply that your name is Harry Potter, so we can tell if it's effective. Furthermore, you are not to leave this room until you have returned to me and I have presented you with the antidote. All right?"

I nodded and opened my mouth, and Madam Pomfrey dropped three drops onto my tongue. I swallowed and waited a few moments.

"Do you remember what I asked?" Madam Pomfrey inquired as Hermione looked on.

"Yes," I replied.

"All right. What is your name?"

I opened my mouth to say Harry Potter, but I felt a miniscule tug in my brain, redirecting my words. "Draco Malfoy."

"Did you attempt to say Harry Potter?"

"Yes."

"What did it feel like?"

"Something in my brain pushed me to say my own name."

Madam Pomfrey nodded once. "Excellent. I will be in my office. I will be checking up on the both of you in a bit. Good luck." She went back to her office, and I sat down in the chair beside Hermione's bed.

Showtime.

**A/N: Wow, I just realized I haven't updated in a long time, I've had this written since March… I'll put on my writing hat and my speedy fingers and update as quick as I can once I finish the next chapter (which is a work in progress but my brain likes me and knows what I'm going to do for it). Bear with me folks, I'm so sorry!**


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